Body and gear supporting frame for pedaled vehicles.



No. 802,179. PATENTED 00T.17,l905. G. H. BARSCHOW. BODY AND GEAR SUPPORTING FRAME FOR PEDALED VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.28. 1905.

z SHEETS-SHBIBT 1,

W/ 7-/VE55E5 WM No. 802,179. PATENTBD 00T. 1'7, 1905. G. H. BARSCHOW.

BODY AND GEAR SUPPORTING FRAME POR PEDALED VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED APR, 28,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITEv STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. BARSCHOW, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN METAL WHEEL AND TOY COMPANY OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

BODY AND GEAR SUPPORTING FRAME FOR PEDALED VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1905.

Application iiled April 28, 1905. Serial No. 257,813

To @Z whom it irl/ty concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. BARscHow, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio. have invented a new and useful Improvement in Body and Gear Supporting Frames for Pedaled Vehicles, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to a frame for supporting the body and the steering and driving gears for pedaled vehicles, and has for its object to provide a light, strong, durable, and inexpensive frame for the purpose that is adapted to form a part of the running-gear of a childs pedaled vehicle and provide a suitable support for a bottomless body for the vehicle adapted to allow free movement of the feet and limbs in pedaling and which Will relieve thebody of the vehicle from strain and permit of its being made lighter without affecting its durability; furthermore, to providea light and durable frame for the purpose that is adapted to strongly support steering and pedaling gears and having means for readily adjusting the tension of a pedaled chain-gear. I accomplish these objects by constructing a supporting-frame for the purpose, as hereinafter described, and illustrated in the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of my frame mounted on a running-gear and lsupporting a bottomless body and the steering and a link-pedaling gear, the section being on liney z/ y of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a crosssection of the same on line .fr of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a supporting-truss. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of my frame provided with an adjustable chain-gear support. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same on line y' g/ of Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is a crosssection of the same on line w/ w' of Fig. 6.

In the drawings, A represents my frame adapted for supporting' a pedaled crank-gear, and A represents the same frame adapted for adjustably supporting a pedaled chain-gear.

Frame A, which is preferably constructed of light steel, comprises theangle-bar sides 1, the front and rear cross-straps 2, the intermediate cross-straps 3 and 4, the rear bracestraps 5, the front-end truss-strap 6, forming with the front cross-strap 2 the front trusssupport 7 the side truss-straps 8, and the trussstrap 9, forming with the cross-strap 3 a trusssupport 10 for the steering-gear, and frame A comprises in addition to the parts of the frame A the intermediate cross-strap 11,the trussstraps 1`2 and 13, respectively, forming with the cross-straps 4 and 11 the truss-supports 14 and 15 for supporting the adjustable chaingear-supporting bar 16.

The truss-straps 6, 9, 12, and 13 are each angled to form a central bearing portion 17, having a central transverse orifice and the arms 18 diverging therefrom, the arms having end portions 19 angled outwardly in a plane parallel with the plane of the central bearing portion and adapted to coincide with end portions of their respective cross-straps 2, 3, 4, and 1l to form the respective truss-supports '7, 10, 14, and l5, all of the same general form,

but each having arms 18 of a length suited to locate the central bearing portion the distance below the cross-bar required for itspurpose. The members of the truss-supports thus assembled have their conjoined end portions jointly riveted by the rivets 2() to the outer angle-faces of the inner wings of the side angle-bars l, the inner wings being arranged parallel in the same plane with the outer wings in parallel planes at right angles to the common plane of the inner wings. The side bars 1 being thus cross-connected by the trusses 7, 10, 14, and 15 and the rear crossstrap 2, each at right angles to the side bars, the frame is made rigid by the brace-straps 5, which are arranged diagonal to the angles formed by the rear cross-strap with the side bars and have their end portions secured by rivets to the under sides of the side bars and cross-strap.

The side truss-straps 8 are each bent to form central of their length a bearing 21 for the rear axle 22 of the vehicle and the arms 23 diverging therefrom, the arms having their outer end portions 24 angled oppositely in the same plane, adapting them for attachment to the under sides of the inner wings of side angle-bars, to which they are riveted one truss-strap to each side bar, with the axlebearings in alinement to receive the axle upon which they support the rear end portion of the frame.

The front truss 7 has its central bearing portion 17 pivotally mounted by the pivotbolt 25, extending through the central orifice IDO l free end portion of the arm 30 is provided with an orifice 32, through which extends the middle portion of the rearwardly-inclined steering-shaft 33, the lower end portion of which extends through the central orifice 17 of the central bearing of the truss 10, upon which it is supported by a shoulder-bearing 34, the steering-gear 35 being suitably attached to the shaft below the bearing 17 of the truss 10 and to the truss-bolster 27 of the front axle.

When the link-pedals 36, pivotally attached I at their rear .ends to a cranked rear axle 22 and pivoted in the bearings 31 of the bracket at their forward ends, are used for propelling the vehicle, as shown in Fig. 1, the trussstrap 12, the truss 15, and the bar 16 are omitted from the fratrie. When, however, the vehicle is to be propelled by a sprocket chain-gear, the truss-strap 12, the truss 15,

and the bar 16 are added to the frame, as shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. For the chaingear the axle 22, having a sprocket-wheel 37 fixed central thereon, is substituted for the cranked axle 22. The arms of the truss-straps of the trusses 14 and 15 are of increased length in order to bring their central bearing portions below the level of the rear axle, and upon their bearing portions 17 is mounted the bar 16. The bar 16 is flat and provided with the central longitudinal slot 38, which extends from the rear end for the greater part of its length toward the front end portion, and with a slot 39 of reduced length in the front end portion, and the bar is of a length to have its end portions extending beyond the bearing portions of the trusses 14 and 15. To the under side of the bar, forward of its center, on each side of the rearward slot 38, are oppositely secured the alined axle-bearings 40, in which is journaled the crank-axle 41, having centrally mounted thereon the driving sprocket-wheel 42 in line with and extending through the slot, the cranks 43 of the axle being extended oppositelyin thesame plane from a central portion and on opposite sides of the bar and provided with pivoted lpedals 43.

The bar is adjustably secured to the central bearing portions of the trusses 14 and 15 by the clips 44, which have angled end portions 45 adapted to engage the outer edges of the bar when the clips are placed transverse the bar and are provided central of their lengths with bolt-holes adapted to register with the central orifices of the bearing portions 17 of the trusses, to which the clips are secured by the bolts 47, which are inserted through the orifices of the bearings and the clips and secured by nuts run on the bolts. sprocketwheel 42 is connected with the sprocket-wheel 37 of the rear axle by the sprocket-chain 49, the tension of which is readily adjusted by loosening the'nuts of the bolts 47 and shifting and securing the bar 16 forward or rearward, as required.

The frame thus constructed is adapted'to support a bottomless box-body B, having sides 50 adapted to rest on the inner wings of the side bars between the outer wings, the sides 50 being cross-connected flush with their bottom edges by the front and rear bottom strips 51, located to coincide with and adapt- 'ed to rest on the front and rear cross-straps 2 of the frame, to the central portions of which they are secured by suitable bolts 52. By thus supporting and securing the body on the frame the resilience of the cross-straps 2 for the most part prevents any strain on the frame from being communicated to the body, which for that reason may be made much lighter and without any bottom, thereby providing increased room for pedaling.

The frame is adapted for supporting bottomless bodies of various styles and shapes and by reason of its truss construction combines strength and durability with lightness. It also affords strong and durable support for both the steering and pedaling gears in position for convenient use and adjustment.

What 1 claim to be new is- 1. In a body and gear supporting framefor pedaled vehicles, the combination of angle side bars arranged parallel, with the inner wings of the angle-bars in the same plane; front, rear, and intermediate cross-straps connecting the inner wings of the side bars; trussstraps for the front and intermediate crossstraps, each truss-strap having a central bearing portion provided with a central orifice, and arms diverging at equal angles from the bearing portion, the arms having their outer end portions angled and arranged to coincide with the end portions of the cross-straps and being' riveted conjointly therewith to the inner wings of the side bars; brace-straps connected to a cross-strap and to the side bars diagonal to the angles formed by the crossstrap with the side bars; side truss-straps, one for each side bar, each bent to form a central axle-bearing and arms diverging from the bearing, the arms having their outer end portions angled oppositely in the same plane, and said side truss-straps being oppositely and pendently secured by the outer end portions of their arms to rear end portions of the side bars with the axle-bearings in axial alinement; and means to pivotally support steering and pedaling gears on the intermediate truss and cross straps, substantially as set forth. y

2. In a body and gear supporting frame for pedaled vehicles, the combination of angle The driving IOO side bars arranged parallel with the inner wings of the angle-bars in the same plane; cross members connecting the side bars, comprising a front-end-supporting truss, a steering-gear-supporting truss, a pair of pedalgear-supporting trusses, and a rear-end crossstrap having brace-straps tying the angles formed by its connection with the side bars, said truss members each comprising a trussstrap angled to form a central bearing portion, having arms diverging from the central portion at equal angles, and the arms having end portions angled and extending oppositely in a common plane parallel with the plane of the bearing portion, and a tie cross-strap having its end portions coinciding with the end portions of the arms of the truss-strap and conjointly secured therewith t0 the inner wings of the cross-bars at right angles thereto, said central bearing portions being each provided with an orifice central between the arms; side members comprisingapair of trussstraps one for each side bar, for supporting the rear end portion of the frame, each bent to form a central aXlejournal bearing and arms diverging from the bearing having end portions angled oppositely in a common plane, and secured to a side bar, the arms and bearing of one truss-strap being in cross alinement with the arms and bearing of the other; a slotted bar mounted on the bearing portions of the pedal-gear-supporting trusses; alined journal-bearings secured to the slotted bar on opposite sides ofthe slot; clips transverse the bar over the. bearing portions of the trusses and having orilices in alinement with the orifices of the bearings; and bolts extending through the clips, the slot of the bar, and the bearings, adapted to adjustably secure the bar.

3. In a pedaled vehicle, the combination with a frame comprisingl angle side bars arranged parallel, with the inner wings of the angle-bars in the same plane, front, rear and intermediate cross-straps connecting the inner wings of the angle-bars, diagonal bracestraps tying angles formed by a cross-strap with the side bars, front and side truss-straps, respectively adapted to support the frame on the front and rear axles of the vehicle, and cross truss-supports for steering and pedaling gears intermediate the front and rear crossstraps, of a bottomless box-body having sides adapted to rest on the side bars of the frame and cross-strips connecting the sides flush with the bottom edges of the sides and located to rest on the front and rear cross-straps of the frame, and means to secure the cross-strips of the body to the front and rear cross-straps of the frame, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof l have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 18th day of April, 1905.

GEORGE H. BARSGHOVV.

Witnesses:

CHAs. A. BooKE, V. W. MoRnHoUsn. 

